fake gentry

Taoping.

Ah Ling has already visited several times.

Li was sitting on a folding stool at the entrance of the cave, sewing shoes. There were already two pairs of hemp shoes, one large and one small, stacked in the bamboo basket beside her.

The larger one was given to Liangren Dong Qi, and the smaller one to his son Dong Sheng.

The one she was working on was specially made for her husband, and the stitches were much finer.

The refugees who went into the mountains to search for honey are returning one after another, and the craftsmen and laborers from the fortified village are also busy with their work.

In a few days, when they return to the fortified village, Li will ask them to help bring the hemp shoes home so they can wear them during the New Year.

She also brought back the monthly allowance that Xie Hong had paid her in advance.

Seeing Ah Ling standing on tiptoe and peering towards the mountain path again, Madam Li smiled and asked, "Are you worried about your husband, Ah Ling?"

A-Ling glanced back at Li Shi, her lips moved but she didn't say anything, then turned and went back into the cave, but after a while she poked her head out again.

Li paused on the sole of her shoe with the needle, and said reassuringly, "Don't worry, my lord will be alright."

Just then, they heard someone shout that Xie Langjun had returned.

A-Ling hurriedly ran over, and Li Shi also got up and went out, only to find that the oxcart had arrived at Taoping, and the clan chief Dong Xuan had also arrived.

When A-Ling saw Dong Xuan, she smiled and called out "Clan Chief!" She ran to the oxcart and bowed to Xie Hong with a smile, saying, "My lord is back! I made you some ice cream."

Xie Hong nodded with a smile, and Aheng immediately pulled Aling aside and whispered in her ear.

Dong Xuan was secretly puzzled. A-Ling had always been quiet, but he hadn't expected her to change so much in just over ten days since she came to the mountain.

It seems that Master Xie treats them very well.

Before today, he would have fantasized that the two women from his clan could become Xie Langjun's concubines, which would greatly help to improve Dong's status in Chaisang.

But now he dares not think about it anymore.

He had witnessed everything that happened on Huangshiyan.

Xie Langjun's talent has astonished everyone. The Dong family, being a mere poor family, should not even dream of sending their daughter as a concubine.

As for Zhang De and the others' framing of Xie Langjun, Dong Xuan believed it was nothing short of suicide.

Although he had never deliberately investigated what Xie Hong had done in the mountains, after spending time with him, he believed that Xie Langjun could not possibly be a spy for the Jie Zhao.

Dong Xuan wasn't born with a brain; he became the patriarch of the Dong clan for a reason.

In a few days, I'm afraid Zhang De will lose his position as county magistrate.

He had already been trying to curry favor with Magistrate Tao beforehand, and now he wondered if Magistrate Tao would let him become the county assistant because of Xie Langjun.

If that were true, Dong Xuan felt like he could laugh himself awake in his dreams.

So Dong Xuan personally led the ox for Xie Hong the whole way, and Chen San was pushed to the side to walk.

Ah Ling pulled Ah Heng aside to whisper something, and Li Shi also joined in. Ah Heng chattered on and on, and when she got excited, her voice became very loud, attracting the attention of the refugees and laborers.

Xie Hong welcomed Dong Xuan into the cave and instructed Li to make three servings of ice cream, one for him, one for Liu Chong, and one for Dong Xuan. Dong Xuan's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Poor thing, he had never eaten yogurt in his life, let alone had it with ice in the summer.

Xie Hong then had Li bring over a few bars of soap, wrapped in hemp paper, and handed them to him: "Master Dong, take this back and use it in ten days. You can use it to wash your hands, face, and body."

Dong Xuan didn't know what this thing was, but he could tell from Li Shi's eyes that it was precious, and he accepted it with both hands, feeling flattered.

"You've had a tough time these past few days, Master Dong. You can put the honey sale on hold for now. After today's gathering, no one down the mountain should bother you anymore. But you should still be careful that someone might try something desperate. If anyone comes to inquire about me, prioritize your own safety and let them come looking for me."

Dong Xuan's eyes reddened slightly: "My lord, the Dong family has built a fortified stronghold, and its more than three hundred members are not to be bullied by anyone."

Xie Hong shook his head and smiled, "Don't be nervous. After you go back, you can visit the Tao family more often. I'll let you in on something today: I intend to pledge my allegiance to Magistrate Tao."

Dong Xuan was momentarily stunned, but then his eyes lit up again.

With Xie Langjun's reputation spreading, many important figures will surely come to recruit him.

Tao, the Prefect, came from a humble background. If Xie, the Young Master, accepted his offer of service, he would surely rise to a high position.

This is the story of buying a horse's bones for a thousand pieces of gold.

If she can improve her relationship with Magistrate Tao, the Dong family may be able to obtain official status in the future and completely shed their humble origins.

After a cup of tea, Xie Hong personally escorted Dong Xuan down the mountain. He then turned and instructed Li to make more ice that night, as many people would surely come to visit him starting tomorrow, which would be a good opportunity to give those unsophisticated bumpkins a shock.

After dinner, Xie Hong summoned Liu Chong and Chen San. A Ling served tea and then withdrew.

"Master Chen, I'm very sorry about what happened today; it has implicated my brother."

Liu Chong snorted, seemingly displeased with Xie Hong's formality. Chen San smiled wryly and took a breath: "Young Master Xie, my original surname is Cen, an old surname from Jiangzuo. Although my family is not prominent, we are still a respectable gentry. After the master was killed, I escorted you to exile in Jiangzhou. To avoid being noticed, you changed your surname to your mother's surname."

Xie Hong nodded slightly.

He knew Chen San was no ordinary refugee the moment he saw him.

Liu Chong also bowed solemnly to Xie Hong: "Dai Jing, son of Dai Ruosi of the Dai family of Guangling, pays respects to my elder brother."

Xie Hong looked at the young man before him, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "Brother, do you have any plans of your own?"

Liu Chong suddenly looked up: "Revenge! I swear I will personally cut off the head of the traitor Dun, and only then will I regain my original surname."

Xie Hong laughed and said, "But do you regret exposing your identity for me today?"

Liu Chong looked at Xie Hong with resentment: "No regrets, I wouldn't regret it even if I had to do it again."

Chen San sighed, "From today onwards, Young Master Xie will surely become famous throughout Jiangzhou. Within half a month, I'm afraid even Jiankang will know of Young Master Xie's name. My humble son will also reach Wang Dun's ears. Young Master Xie may be able to protect you for a while, but he cannot protect you forever."

He paused, then said, "Young Master Xie needs to make plans as soon as possible, and so do I and my own husband."

Xie Hong pondered for a moment, then looked up at Liu Chong: "Brother, you have two options. One is to follow me. As you know, my identity is somewhat complicated, so I won't rely on the Xie family. I will seek refuge with the Tao family. If you want to take revenge yourself, you must go to Yanzhou. Whether it's the Xi family or the Tao family, Wang Dun is too far away to reach you. What will you choose?"

Liu Chong pursed his lips tightly and looked up to meet Xie Hong's gaze. His face flickered in and out of focus in the candlelight.

He was still that proud young man, but he had learned to think.

"Brother." Liu Chong took a deep breath, stood up from his seat, and then knelt on one knee: "I am willing to go to Yanzhou. You once said that the rebels would be destroyed within two years. So I make a promise with you: if you do not abandon me after two years, I am willing to hold the reins and lead the horse for you."

Xie Hong laughed and scolded, "Get up! Your father is a dignified General Who Conquers the West. You will be the one to uphold the family's reputation and inherit the title. Wouldn't it be an insult for a nobleman to come and lead my horse? Go to Yanzhou to seek refuge with Xi Jian. I will write a letter and have Xi Zhong take it with me. From now on, you will study military strategy with me every night!"

Liu Chong was stunned.

Chen San was also stunned.

Brother Xie (elder brother) actually knows military strategy?

"Brother..."

Liu Chong hesitated for a long time before finally saying with his head down, "I have family-inherited military books, and I've memorized them all."

"It's not that I look down on the Dai family's scholarship, but what else do they have besides Sun Tzu's Art of War?" Xie Hong said disdainfully, "Do you know what extreme pressure training is? Do you know what military posture is? Do you know what muscle memory training is? Do you know what 'never give up' means? Do you know what the Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention are?"

"If you learn my military strategy, you can lead a team of ten or a hundred men, become a general of a thousand or ten thousand men, and become a commander of a hundred thousand or a million men."

"Follow my instructions, you only need a thousand men and a thousand cavalry to be invincible and sweep across the world!"

Liu Chong suddenly raised his head, looking intently at Xie Hong. His eyes gradually reddened.

Xie Hong looked at Liu Chong and burst into laughter in his heart.

This kid and his army must be provided with white robes.

With Dai Zhuozhi here, Chen Qingzhi can go have fun.